Project of the Month: IV House

Starting in 2016, ArchDaily's projects team - the editors responsible for selecting the projects we publish on ArchDaily - will be selecting one exceptional project every month. We hope that this will shine a light into our selection process by allowing us to highlight projects that motivate and inspire us. Whether it’s a project that demonstrates an outstanding relationship to its context, or a building whose materials emphasize the power of architecture, these “Projects of the Month” should be seen not only as valuable architectural references, but also sources of inspiration and knowledge.

IV House / MESURA

We have selected Mesura’s residential project in Alicante as January’s Project of the Month. This refurbishment project called for the extension of a house set in the middle of the site, that previously had little consideration for contextual elements such as climate, solar orientation, topography, vegetation or visual elements.

The new addition is an outstanding response to the bioclimatic conditions of the region, which are both humid and hot, and achieves its goal of creating an intermediate space that connects the arid landscape with the original house. The extension creates a transition of shades and volumes from the exterior into the interior, separating the shared spaces from the intimate spaces at the same time.

The use of heavy concrete in play with versatile brickwork demonstrates the materials' expressive capabilities to the full, and as a result the project's materiality is one of its main strengths. The structural “wall and vault” system, in which the concrete roof appears as an apparently heavy weight while floating above the ground, creates the desired transition space; the intersection between interior and exterior.

Also worth highlighting is MESURA's excellent use of high-quality graphic material, from the initial hand drawn sketches to the final construction details. Their presentation reflects the creative and constructive process of the work with simplicity and intention, delivering the correct message without any pretensions.

“House IV” is therefore a great example of how a vaulted corridor is an appropriate response in generating an intermediate space, suitable for the climate and with a structure that is 100% compatible with the preexisting construction.

From the architect. IV House, designed by MESURA is an ambitious work marked by its long period of design and building, designed from the location&demand and formalized from its systems&details. It is located in the countryside around the city of Elche, in a hot and humid climate and barren landscape.